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EVERY TWO YEARS, 40-foot wooden canoes, shaped like dragons and brightly painted, take to the Inner Harbor to compete in the Catholic Charities Dragon Boat Races, benefiting our programs. On Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, Johns Hopkins HealthCare

sponsored two teams that raced for Our Daily Bread Employment Center. Bank of America competed for Christopher Place Employment Academy. Twenty-eight teams, in total, participated in the compelling athletic competition.

Biennial race awakens the benevolent dragons of Baltimore

Johns Hopkins HealthCare’s team, Grateful Bread (left); and Bank of America’s team (below) at practice on the Canton waterfront.“

Our team, JHHC Grateful Bread, paddled in the 2016 race and has returned with two boats in 2018. What stays in the forefront of our minds is why we do this, and that’s to ensure that Our Daily Bread continues to have the means to serve hot meals and more to all people in need.Donna L. Chase, Team Captain, Johns Hopkins HealthCare (JHHC)’s Dragon Boat

This is Bank of America’s fifth Dragon Boat Race in support of Christopher Place Employment Academy. Our team works hard every day to make financial lives better, just like the men at Christopher Place Employment Academy who are working hard to improve their lives. Their energy is contagious. We look forward to celebrating a victory in 2018!Adam Burch, U.S. Trust Sales Executive, Bank of America

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Christopher Place Employment Academy assists men who’ve experienced chronic homelessness, poverty and substance misuse by providing them with the skills, training and support to become independent and self-sufficient.

Over 18 months, the participants move through the following five stages:

Assessment & Preparation (AP)

Academy: Three Months

Working Man: 12 Months

Alumni

Residents are assessed and evaluated to determine readiness for change and candidacy for the academy.

Residents attend full day workshops provided by our community partners, staff and volunteers that focus on overcoming the challenges to success when returning to the community and beginning employment.

Employed residents save income for future housing, meeting child support obligations and repaying debt.

After transitioning to community housing, working for one year and maintaining sobriety, Christopher Place residents graduate to alumni status. A biannual graduation ceremony is held.

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Steps to success at

Christopher Place

3Period dedicated to job search and employment (working closely with case managers and job placement managers).

Job Ready: 30-45 Days

Learn more about Christopher Place Employment Academy at cc-md.org/ChristopherPlace.

Chef Robert Blanchard

October 21, 1967 – July 6, 2018IN MEMORIAM

HE WAS REMEMBERED as a magician in the kitchen, a helpful colleague, comic, mentor and devoted son. On Sunday, July 15, friends, volunteers and colleagues gathered at Our Daily Bread to celebrate the life

and untimely death of Robert Blanchard.

In 2017, Mr. Blanchard joined Our Daily Bread Employment Center as its chef, bringing with him a love and knowledge of cooking inherited from the southern women who raised him on Chicago’s South Side.

Life was not easy for Chef. He had battled cancer, survived open-heart surgery and was wounded by random gunfire in Chicago. “Despite my challenges, I’ve been placed here for a reason and that’s to do good when I can,” said Chef Blanchard in the 2017 newsletter.

Chef Robert Blanchard

Chef ’s mother, Katherine McDonald and cousin, Tanisha Roper.

Bank of America’s representative Lindsay Kelly (r) presented a $10,000 check to Our Daily Bread Employment Center. Gratefully accepting the check was Executive Director of Catholic Charities Bill McCarthy (l), and Interim Director Mary Gunning (c).

THANK YOU

OUR DAILY BREAD NEEDS CEREAL AND TEA BAGS (with strings). Every week, the kitchen uses 350 tea bags and 105 boxes of cereal for breakfast. Please leave donations at Our Daily Bread Employment Center’s back door any day before 3:30 p.m.

Contact: Nick Rudomin at 667-600-3438 or nrudomin@cc-md.org.

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Fitness class builds strength and will to succeed

V O L U N T E E R S P O T L I G H T

NED SPARKS’ Conditioning and Lifestyles class lights a fire in the spirits, minds and bodies of the Christopher Place Employment Academy men.

“I really enjoy working with them,” Sparks said after a recent fitness class. “Frankly, I think I get more out of volunteering than they do.”

His fitness class draws upon his 12-year career as an educator and coach, first with Howard County High School and then as the executive director of Maryland’s High School Athletic Association for 35 years.

“This course is a metaphor for life,” said Sparks. “We learn about setting goals and working to achieve them – alone or with a partner.”

Many of the Christopher Place Employment Academy men are recovering from chronic homelessness or substance misuse. For Andre Smith, a Christopher Place Employment Academy participant, this rings true. “He helps us strengthen our bodies, which helps us strengthen our minds. That’s important since we’ve neglected ourselves for years.”

“I’m impressed with these men,” said Sparks. “They’ve achieved a lot.”

Client Services offers pathway to self-sufficiency and financial independence

Ned Sparks, a volunteer at Our Daily Bread Employment Center and Christopher Place Employment Academy

Since assuming the role as Interim Director, I’ve been impressed by the vast scope of work accomplished every day to assist those in need. For instance, through the CLIENT SERVICES DIVISION, individuals gain a foothold in the work-world thanks to a myriad of programs, including:• WORK 4 SUCCESS, an intensive

two-week job readiness program that assists with job searches, interviews, placement and retention.

• EARN BENEFITS which connects eligible clients to essential benefits including Supplemental Nutrition

Assistance Program (SNAP), Social Security and SSI. The staff also assists in completing necessary paperwork to receive the benefits.

• JOB PLACEMENT SPECIALISTS who match the interest and abilities of a client with the outstanding needs of business partners. These specialists maintain and cultivate relationships with regional businesses, nonprofits and educational institutions who hire from Client Services.

• INFORMATION AND RESOURCE SPECIALISTS who link clients to other Catholic Charities and community programs. They also assist in obtaining essential documents (Social Security cards and birth certificates) and access to emergency food, clothing and energy assistance.

Together and through this holistic approach, the staff strives to break the cycle of homelessness and unemployment.

Learn more about Our Daily Bread Employment Center at cc-md.org/ODBEC.

CLIENT SERVICES SUCCESSFiscal Year 2018 (07/01/17 – 06/30/18)

• 129 clients secured steady, fulfilling jobs

• 2,000 individuals received assistance with food, housing, clothing, energy costs and moreFROM THE DESK OF Mary Gunning

Interim Director of Our Daily Bread Employment Center and Director of the Catholic Charities Head Start of Baltimore City for more than 30 years

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Client Services Division staff: (front row l-r) Barbara Brown, Carol Brady, Darlene Dunn, Pamela Johnson (back l-r) Christine Gedim, Stacy French, Donna Anderson, Mike Stafford and Antoinette Brown. Not pictured: Sonya McMillan.

Hear from someone who is a client services success story at cc-md.org/ClientServicesSuccess.

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Catholic Charities of Baltimore Communications Department320 Cathedral StreetBaltimore, MD 21201-4421

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

P A I DBaltimore, MD

Permit No. 5595

SAVE THE DATES:n October 30 Catholic Charities

Annual Celebration

n November 27: Giving Tuesday!

n December 13: Christmas Festival at the Baltimore Basilica

n March 9, 2019: A Taste of Maryland – ODBEC Annual Dinner and Auction

cc-md.org/events667-600-2028

126 17581 26-0337599

Our Daily Bread Employment Center725 Fallsway | Baltimore, MD 21202cc-md.org/give-ODBEC |cc-md.org/ODBEC667-600-3400

Inspired by the Gospel mandates to love, serve and teach, Catholic Charities provides care and services to improve the lives of Marylanders in need.

A reflection on volunteering at Our Daily Bread Employment Center from Catholic Charities Chief Development Officer Rita Walters.

Their generosity gave me the most hope. One guest offered his bread to another guest, another offered his salad, and another still, his cupcake; many to random strangers. It went on like this throughout the day. Some people simply left their untouched desserts or extra bread in the center of the table for anyone. They left not knowing who would benefit from their largess, only knowing that someone might. And isn’t that the real gift? Love thy neighbor as thyself.

Recently, my Advancement colleagues and I volunteered to serve lunch at Our Daily Bread Employment Center. That

day, I witnessed generosity from the community of volunteers, but it was the guests themselves who impressed me most.

Read the full story at cc-md.org/rita-walters.

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GGive us this day...

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